For those who enjoy the medical field, but do not have the desire to follow the career path of a doctor or similar hands on profession, medical assistance is ideal.
They perform administrative duties and handle the basic clinical office tasks to aid physicians.
Basically, they ensure that the office operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Some assistants may perform patient and laboratory work exclusively, while others are responsible for tasks such as book keeping, correspondence, and filing records.
In many small offices, the assistants may handle each of these tasks.
In bigger establishments, they will generally be assigned a more specialized position.
Positions are available in doctor's offices, clinics, hospitals, and more.
The desk work of an assistant covers the wide range of tasks that an office manager would in a non-medical related field.
They are often responsible for purchasing and maintaining supplies and equipment.
Planning the doctor's schedule, greeting patients, and filing records are part of the daily work.
Typing letters and keeping tabs on the bills follow.
Arranging for outside laboratory tests or a patient's admission to the hospital must be handled on a moment's notice.
Even handling tax information and insurance forms, for both the patients and office, are on the agenda of a medical assistant.
The nature of the work will vary depending on location because the clinical duties vary according to the respective state law.
The individual law will dictate whether the assistant is allowed to perform basic examination procedures such as checking the patient's height, weight, temperature, and blood pressure.
Some states even place regulations on what questions the medical assistant is allowed to answer regarding medication or at-home treatment for the patient.
The work of a medical assistant can range from dominating the paper work of an office to taking X-rays and electrocardiograms.
Because of the careful precision needed to carry out such detail oriented tasks, specific education requirement must be met to obtain the higher, respected jobs.
While it is possible to train on the job, no large hospital will have the time and few small offices will take the risk.
However, the program understands the dire need for accuracy and has developed a very specific curriculum to accommodate the needs to ensure that the graduates are prepared and confident to enter the field.
To begin, a high school diploma or equivalent is needed.
Vocational schools offer one year programs that will result in a certificate or diploma.
Community colleges offer two year programs that will likely allow the graduates to work side by side with the doctors examining and treating patients.
Opting for the two year program allows the medical assistant to perform tasks such as taking measurements, drawing blood, and other laboratory and clinical procedures.
Both the one and two year programs teach essentials computer and technological skills as well as medical terminology and ethics.